Woman shares daily 'happiness list' ritual that people say has improved their mental health

Happiness can be a fleeting feeling. But on bad mental health days, finding 'glimmers' of happiness can make you feel a lot better. While techniques like meditating or journaling can offer mental health benefits, they can be hard practices to get into.

Which is why TikToker Jacey Adler (@jaceyadler) searched for an easier way to improve her mental health. So she turned to a different ritual: creating a daily "happiness list", taking note of any and everything that makes her happy as she goes about her day as an act of practicing gratitude. And she shared with her TikTok followers more details about how she does it.

"I started my happiness list in July 2023 after experiencing a rough period with my mental health," she told Newsweek. "I had been struggling with depression for a couple of months and really felt like I had no energy to do my normal practices like journaling or meditation."

"Doing this one small thing every single day absolutely changed the game for my mental health," she says in the TikTok video. "I've tried so many things to improve my mental health, and this is so easy and actually changes the way I feel on a day-to-day basis."

Adler explains that she does her "happiness list" in her phone (rather than on pen and paper).

"I created this Notes app in my phone and separated it by month, and every time something makes me happy—even the smallest little thing like I walk into a store and my favorite song is playing—I put it on this list," she says. "It can be anything, small or big. I really just feel like it rewires your brain to just focus and tune yourself to the little things that are going on."

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She reiterates that the "happiness list" is all about focusing on the little things. "We are so wired to just focus on these big moments to give us happiness, and often it's just not sustainable–and not really how you feel joy on a day-to-day basis," she adds. "But doing this has made me so aware of all the little moments in my day that are there to give me happiness and to make me feel alive and good."

Adler closes the video by explaining that you don't have to sit down and journal or spend a lot of time doing it. "You can do it anywhere–it is so, so easy. I just love being able to look back at all the moments that make me happy. It's such a good reminder when I'm in a funk," she says.

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Her video made a big impact on her followers, who shared their thoughts in the comments. "This is absolutely life changing. Thank you so much," one wrote. Another added, "Thank you :,) I’m going through a breakup and have been trying to be really intentional with my mental journey out of it, and this is perfect. 🫶🏻" And another shared, "I’ve been doing this for years. Recently read all my fav memories to my husband and we cried and giggled together at the beauty of life 💖."